House roof construction



Nov. 9, 1937. I. M. BRANDJORD HOUSE ROOF CONSTRUCTION Filed June 11, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet l 1 Nov. 9, 1937. 1. M. BRANDJORD 2,098,855

HOUSE ROOF CONSTRUCTI ON Filed June 11, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 r H J Ptented Nov. 9, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HOUSE ROOF CONSTRUCTION Iver M. Branfljord, Helena, Mont.

Application June 11, 1935, Serial No. 25,991

V Claims.

The invention relates to new and usefulimprovements in roof construction, such improvements consisting of (a) finished and complete roof units, and (b) terraced or recessed or eut 6 out rafters so constructed and placed that the roof units will rest closely and uniformly on these rafters and at the same time overlap each. other in close and accurate fashion, both endways and laterally, so that all joints between the adjoining roof units will be completely covered.

The objects of the invention are, first, t0 provide an effective and durable roof that can easily and quickly be assembled from the finished roof units and rafters; second, to provide a roof that can easily and quickly be dismantled without substantial damage to its component parts, and then re-assembled; and third, to decrease the cost of roof construction and maintenance.

Figure 1 in the accompanying drawings is a perspective of one of the roof units, showing the surface exposed to the weather, the raised borders or edges, and the intervening ribs.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal vertical cross section et a roof unit taken between the ribs. It indicates the three strata or lavera of which the unit is built up, and also the upper edge or border.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of one of the wide rafters showing the tenaces, notches or bearings on which the roof units rest.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of one of the wide rafters with one of the narrow rafters attached to it showing their relative positions.

Figure 5 shows the arrangement of the wide rafters and the narrow rafters with cross braces for the support of the ends of the roof units.

Figure 6 shows the exterior of the finished roof.

Figure 7 shows a difierent kind of rafter involving the same principle to be used in larger roofs. It is to be placed across the pitch or rise of the roof, and with the same kind of roof units it will produce the same kind of roof the roof units overlapping both endways and laterally.

Figure 8 shows the arrangement of the rafters shown in Figure 7. The appearance of the finished roof will be the same.

The purpose of the upper raised edge or border, I, and of the two raised side edges or borders,

2-2, is to prevent water from entering the joints between the adjoinng roof units. The screws holding the units to the rafters are to be inserted through these raised edges or borders and the raise will also drain the water from the screwheads. Screws are also to be inserted through the two ribs, 3 -3, and these ribs drain the. watr from the screw-heads. As an additional precau tion ail screwheads are to be countersunk and the holes sealed with some suitable plastic material. The thickness of the raised edges and ribs need not exceed one half inch.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal, vertical cross section of the roof unit, showing the three united strata or layers of which the roof unit is built up, namely, the middle or supporting stratum, 4; the under side or heat insulating stratum, 5; and the upper or water-impcrvicus stratum, 6. The middle or supporting stratum, 4, may be constructed from wood, or metal, or other ma.- terial; the under side or heat insulating stratum, 5, may be constructed from any composition of low heat conductivity; the upper or Water-im-' pervicus stratum, 6, may be constructed from any materitl such as mineral matter that may be united strongly and permanently with the supporting stratum and which is completely impervious to water and which is also fire resisting. The raised edges and ribs are constructed integral with the roof unit.

These three strata or 'layers are to be permanently united into one body through adequate pressure in the construction and otherwise.

The size of the roof units is largely a matter of taste, but convenience of handling must be taken into account and also the size of the roof in which they are to be used. For the ordinary dwelling house r'oof the width should be not less than four feet resting on four rafters placed 16 inches apart, measured from center to center. The length of the roof units for the ordinary dwelling bouse, not exceeding 32 ft. in width, should be such that three lengths up and'down will cover one side of the roof.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of one of the main or wide rafters W. The fines ab, cd and ef are equal in length and parallel. bc is equal in length to de and also equal to the thickness of the roof unit to be used on these rafters including the raised edges or borders I and 2-2.

If two or more of these rafters are placed in position, side by side, and at the proper distance, roof units of the proper length placed on the rafters will reSt on the rafters for the entire length of each section b, cd, and 6-), (Fig. 3) on each rafter. The roof units so placed will also overlap each other endways to any extent desired and in perfect alinement. The roof unit placed on the bearing c-d will overlap the roof unit placed on the bearing ef; and the roof unit placed on the bearing ab will overlap the roof unit next below. Given roof units of proper length and of a thickness, including the raised edges or borders, equal to bc and de, this is inevitable and self evident, because ab, cd and ef are parallel by construction.

Referring more particularly to Figs. 3 and 4, it will be seen that the bearings referred to extend from lower edges a, c, and e to the respectively spaced higher edges b, d, and The length. of the rafter lies between the narrow edge a and the wider end portion g. The rafter N shown in Fig. 4 is similar in construction to the rafters W and W but has less thickness throughout its length than the rafters W and W.

The bearing surfaces for the rafters N are similar to those of the rafters W and W'and extend from the lower portions z, k, and m, respectively, to the highest portions 7, I, and 11. The letters c, e, E, and m represent the recessed portions or breaks in the rafters while the letters b, d, 7, and I represent the upper or enter edges of the recessed portions.

Fairly good roofs could be constructed without lateral overlapping. If laterally adjoining roof units are so placed that their sides meet on the same rafter and the joint between them is filled by some suitable plastic material a good roof would be the result; but in order to obtain an ideal roof from these roof units, means must be provided by which the adjoining roof units will overlap each other both endways and laterally With perfect alinement and fit. This vital objective is attained by placing every alternate tier of roof units lower than the laterally adjoining tiers, just enough lower to permit the'units of the lower tier to slip under the corresponding units of the laterally adjoining higher tiers with the proper tightness.

This, in turn, is attained in full measure by placing between each set of wide or main rafters W, one set of narrow or subsidiary rafters N 01 similar construction, the difierence in width being exactly equal to the thickness of the roof units; in other words, equal to bc and de, Figure 3. The lower edges or faces of the sets of narrow rafters are exactly in line with the lower edges or faces of the wide rafters; both sets rest on the same wall plates and are in complete alinement throughout( The roof units, as already mentioned, may be constructed in any reasonable width desired; assuming roof units 48 inches wide, exclusive et the lateral overlap, each unit should rest on 4 rafters, spaced 16 inches from center to center. This will require 4 rafters to the set? alternating 4 wide rafters and 4 narrow rafters.

The two outside narrow rafters of each set must be attached to the adjoining wide rafters. Figure 4 shows the exact relative positions of these two united rafters. The bearing b of the wide rafter W 15 parallel to the bearing ij of the narrow rafter N; the bearing c-d of the wide rafter is parallel to the bearing I t of the narrow rafter,f and so on. In fact all these bearings are parallel. The distance between any bearing on the wide rafter and the corresponding bearing on the narrow rafter is equal to the thickness of the roof unit to be' used, including the raised edges or borders.

It is most essential to note that the short, recess lines of the narrow rafter, jk and Lm, are not in. line With the corresponding recess lines of the wide. rafter. The short recess lines of thenarrow rafter are higher up, nearer the ridge of the roof, than the corresponding recess are attained.

Attention is called to this, that the wide rafter W united with the narrow rafter N as shown in Figure 4 could be out out of one single piece of lumber, or otherwise constructed from one single piece of material. Attention is also called to this, that in place of attaching a narrow rafter to the wide rafter, cleats could be fastened to the wide rafter serving as bearings for the roof units. It is preferable to attach a narrow rafter to the wide rafter as it results in a more rigid roof.

Figure 5 shows plainly the arrangement of the wide rafters, of the wide and narrow rafters built together, and of the na1row rafters.

Figure 6 shows plainly the exterior of one side of a finished roof made up of 15 sections. Figuring the units from the cave to the ridge or highest line of the roof as one tier, there are three units to the tier. It is contemplated that each side of an ordinary size house gable roof shall have three units up and clown. The number of units or tiers cf units required sideways or laterally will naturally depend on the length of the roof. If each, unit measures 4 ft. in width, exclusive of overlap, the roof shown will be 20 it.

long.

A, C, and E indicate the high tiers. B and D indicate the low tiers. It should be notedthat the end overlappings corne higher up on the roof in the low tiers than in the high tiers. necessity for this arrangement has been explained in the discussion of Figure 3. It is evident that it will also materially add to the beauty of the roof by staggering the roof unit ends.

The rafters so far described run with the pitch or rise of the roof, that is from the eaves to the ridge of the roof. That arrangement will be found best in all ordinary residence roofs. But in roofs on large buildings, such as stores, watehouses, oflice buildings and factories, where the roof frequently slopes in one direction only, it will usually be found more advantageous to place the rafters across the rise or pitch of the roof as shown in Figure 7. In this kind of construction, the rafters require different construction, whil the underlying principle is the same. In place of each rafter being recessed into tenaces or bearings as ab, cd, and ef in Figures 3 and and 4, the sets of rafters required for the length of each roof unit, and for the lateral tiers cf roof units, are arranged in tenaces. Sec Figure 7. The distance between the adjoining rafters R should be about the same as when the rafters run up and clown, that is with the pitch or rise. The v running parallel to each other and at a distance between one tenace and the next one above et The below equal to the thickness of the roof unit to be used including the raised edges, will permit the end overlap of the adjoining roof units.

The lateral overlap is provided for by cutting out of each rafter a section for each alternate up and down tier cf roof units of the same depth as the thickness of the roof unit to be used including the raised edges or borders. See cuts R in Figures 7 and 8.

The construction effect is exactly the same as the effect produced by the alternating cf narrow rafters With the wide rafters laterally as shown in Figure 5.

In the case of the notched or terraced rafters arranged laterally, it was found that the short recess lines in the lower rafters had to be placed higher up, nearer the ridge of the roof, than the corresponding recess lines in the wide rafters. See Figure 4 and Figure 5. A corresponding mechanical difficulty arises in using rafters running across the pitch or slope of the roof with rectangular cuts for the alternate low tiers cf roof units. If the end overlaps of the low tiers et units are placed in line with the end overlaps of the high:tier s, the lateral overlap is' prevented. Hence an auxiliary rafter S (Fig. 8) is attached to each main rafler wide enough and only wide enough to reach up to the surface of the out in the main rafter R. The units of the ,low tiers are made to overlap endways on the auxiliary rafter, above the out in the main rafter. The efiect is exactly the same as placing the recess higher up in the narrow up and down rafters. The total arrangement provides bath end and lateral overlap, with perfect fit and alinement. In other words, the auxiliary rafters provide extended supporting surfaces for the overlapped ends 61 the shingles.

Cleats below the cuts would serve in place of complete auxiliary rafters, but complete auxiliary rafters result in a stronger roof and more exact alinement of the bearings for the low tiers of the roof nuits.

I clglm:

1. In a roof construction, a plurality of groups of inclined rafters, said groups being parallel and each group comprising a plurality of parallel individual rafters, each individual rafter having a series of longitudinal recesses, one and of each recess being deeper than the other and the rafters of alternate groups being of a difierent width than those of intermediate groups, and a series 01' rectangular plates disposed in the recesses of the various rafters in everlapping relation at their ends and sides, the plates of said alternate groups being in a common plane below the plates of the remaining groups.

2. In a roof construction, a plurality cf groups of inclined rafters, said groups being parallel and each group comprising a plurality of parallel individual rafters, each individual rafter having a series of longitudinal recesses, one end of each recess being deeperthan the other and the rafters of alternate groups being cf difierent.width from those of intermediate groups, the recesses of the rafter of one group being offset longitudinally with respect to those of the adjacent group and being at diflerent distances from the end of the rafters, and a series of rectangular plates disposed in the recesses of the various rafters in overlapping relation at their ends and sides.

3. In a roof construction, a plurality of groups of inclined rafters, said groups being parallel and each group comprising a plurality cf parallel individual rafters, each individual rafter having a series oflongitudinal recesses, one end of each recess being deeper than the other and the rafters of alternate groups being of diflerent width. than those of intermediate groups, the adjacent rafters of the adjacent groups being secured together with the bottoms of the secured rafters in alinement, and a series of rectangular plates disposed in the recesses of the various rafters in overlapping relation at their ends and sides, the plates of said alternate groups being in a common plane below the plates of the remaining groups.

4. In a roof construction, a plurality of parallel inclined supporting members, a plurality of transverse rafters in parallel arrangement carried upon said supporting members, each of said transverse rafters having a plurality of spaced apart bearing surfaces disposed in longitudinal alinement, alternate bearing surfaces being deeper than the intermediate bearing surfaces, and a series of rectangular plates disposed on said bearing surfaces in overlapping relation at their ends and at their sides, certain of said plates being in a common plane parallel to said supporting members, and other plates being in a plane above the first named plane.

5. In a roof construction, a pluralityof parallel inclined supporting members, a plurality of transverse rafters in parallel arrangement carrier] upon said supporting members, each of said transverse rafters having a plurality of spaced apart bearing surfaces disposed in longitudinal ment With the bottom of its associated rafter,

and a top flush with the top of said deeper bearing.surfaces, and a series of rectangular plates disposed onsaid bearing surfaces in overlapping relation at their ends and sides, the ends cf certain of said plates being arranged to bear onsaid auxiliary rafters.

IVER M. BRANDJRD. 

